Dixie (Pulaski County)

Dixie is a historically Black neighborhood located in North Little Rock (Pulaski County), lying south and east of Main West Drainage Ditch of Drainage District No. 1 of Pulaski County. The name derives from the Dixie Cotton Oil Mill; land was purchased in the area in the early twentieth century for the public and to accommodate those working at the mill.

In November 1906, James A. Watkins and his wife, Ellen B. Watkins, satisfied in full a mortgage of the area and lands to be known as Dixie Subdivision. In 1911, the city directory’s street index listed Dixie Row with five households, all African American laborers of the Dixie Cotton Oil Mill. However, there were suits to foreclose and then redeem the area and lands prior to the purchase and establishment of Dixie Subdivision for the public on July 22, 1924. The initial subdivision included twenty-eight blocks, and all streets were to remain as public highways common to all. Lots and blocks were known by the letters and numbers as shown on the plat.

The population of Dixie Subdivision grew with the migration of families from Wabbaseka (Jefferson County), Altheimer (Jefferson County), and other small towns in Arkansas Delta. During the Great Depression, Dixie Subdivision was forfeited and sold to the State of Arkansas at the county tax collector’s sale for non-payment of taxes. On June 27, 1946, it was determined that it would be in the best interest of the public for North Little Rock to annex the area. It was decreed that the lands titled as Dixie Subdivision would be become North Little Rock’s Dixie Addition.

In 1949, Dixie Addition received a water main extension, fireplugs, and an extension of sewers. There was a proposed ordinance requiring the Arkansas Louisiana Gas Company to extend lines and services to both Dixie Addition and Tie Plant.

Throughout the community’s history, Dixie residents and leaders of local organizations such as the Dixie ACORN Community Improvement Organization, North Little Rock (Dixie) Civic League, and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) worked with (and sometimes fought with) entities such as the Missouri Pacific Railroad and city officials to provide a safe and secure neighborhood for Dixie citizens, who were concerned about chemical exposure and flooding.

In June 1964, North Little Rock mayor William F. Laman signed a lease agreement with Arkansas Power and Light Company to begin the Conley Park Project, named in honor of community activist Rev. Cato C. Conley, for the families and children of Dixie Addition. The park was developed over the years with the continued support of local officials. In the late 1960s, Dixie received a daycare center for pre-school-aged children of working mothers in Dixie Addition. The daycare center was located at 914 H street and later began operating as the Dixie Community Development Corporation. However, there remained a lack of recreational activities for children during the summer months. In the late 1980s, many Dixie residents were concerned with the minimal installations of fire hydrants, and they also, with the help of the Dixie ACORN Community Improvement Organization, fought for a right-to-know bill to give citizens access to knowledge regarding the presence of chemicals or hazardous substances.

According to city directories from 1950 to 1990, Dixie residents established and operated businesses such as grocery stores, a cafe, a movie theater, beauty shops, barbecue restaurants, and home maintenance businesses. There were also basketball, football, baseball, and softball teams.

A free, family-oriented annual fun day called Dixie Day started in August 1992, held at Conley Park on C Street and on each street in Dixie Addition. In the early 1990s, a community Halloween party hosted by Mrs. Maggie Rose Nicholson prompted the establishment of the event, with Mr. and Mrs. Vertis and Doris Jean Allen also being instrumental. Dixie Day is supported and sponsored by Dixie residents, Arkansas senators and representatives, the City of North Little Rock and its officials, local businesses, and faith-based institutions and organizations. The music and lyrics for the official song of Dixie Day—“I thank God for just one more day / One more Dixie day / the Lord has made a way / I thank God for one more Dixie Day”—were written by Estella Hill, a Dixie musician. The official Dixie emblem is the triangular outline of Dixie Addition, and the colors are red, yellow, green, and black.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that asbestos was found in Dixie in 2011 from a vermiculite processing plant that had been in operation from 1953 to 1989. The mineral had been shipped into Dixie from a mine in Libby, Montana, that was contaminated with asbestos. The EPA found traces of the harmful mineral asbestos on property including Conley Park and Redwood Elementary. According to the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, a three-phased approach to cleaning up the contaminated area was completed by January 2017, although concerns about the presence of asbestos persisted in the community.

Concerns in the twenty-first century are centered around the possible remnants of hazardous chemicals and substances from the processing plant, the Dixie Cotton Oil Mill, and other sources; the dangers from trains coming through the area; and drainage problems that result in occasional flooding, as well as reparative renovations and a digital divide. There are also concerns about a dense copse of trees across from the neighborhood that ceased being maintained by the city.

Dixie celebrated its centennial in July 2024 with the development of a mini-documentary commemorating its lineage and legacy.

For additional information:
Adams, Walter M. “The Railroads of North Little Rock.” Unpublished manuscript, 1980. North Little Rock History Commission, North Little Rock, Arkansas.

“Aiming for Good Government.” Arkansas Gazette, July 14, 1955, p. 10A.

Bradburn, Cary. On the Opposite Shores: The Making of North Little Rock. Marceline, MO: Walworth Publishing Company, 2004.

Briton, Jobeth. “NLR Dixie Residents Accuse City Council of Dereliction.” Arkansas Democrat, December 29, 1987.

“Council Okays Extension of Three Streets.” Arkansas Democrat, September 27, 1949, pp. 4, 26.

Credit, Brenda. “Tour of NLR Finds Spots of Hope.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, February 27, 1992, p. 2B.

“Dixie Addition Residents Say They Want Quick Action.” The Times, December 31, 1987, p. 23.

Dixie Centennial Mini-Documentary. https://youtu.be/IzFbzrXyKOU?si=5Ucr0sTlLMa800wd (accessed March 18, 2025). [See related video in sidebar]

Griffee, Carol. “Leak Forces Evacuation of Several Neighborhoods.” Arkansas Gazette, January 1, 1985, pp. 1A, 16A.

Harland Bartholomew & Associates. “Interim Report: Little Rock- North Little Rock Urban Rail Study.” April 12, 1979, pp. 7, 17, 21, 33, 36, B-2. Online at https://arstudies.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15728coll3/id/565000/rec/2 (accessed March 18, 2025).

“Hartwick Vows to Consider ‘Right to Know’ Ordinance.” Arkansas Democrat, May 21, 1985, p. 10D.

Jeffrey, Rebecca. “Asbestos Concerns Linger in NLR Dixie Neighborhood.” KARK, April 18, 2019. https://www.kark.com/news/local-news/asbestos-concerns-linger-in-nlr-dixie-neighborhood/ (accessed March 18, 2025).

Jones, Jenny. “Mayor Breaks Tie Vote to Begin Conley Park Project.” The Times, July 26, 1990, p. 10A.

Woodruff, John. “Flood Control Plan Gathers Dust.” Arkansas Gazette, January 27, 1991, pp. 1B, 6B.

“Would Extend Gas Service.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, September 16, 1949. p. 24.

Candace Latrese Owens
Central Arkansas Library System